This week we are studying chapter 7, the next phase of the restoration process. The second literary unit is different from the first both chronologically and stylistically. Yet, the plot of the second half followed the same pattern as the first. God, in his sovereignty, prompted a Persian king to authorize a large group of Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem and restore their nation. Sound familiar?
In round two of the story, the returnees were on a mission not to rebuild the temple but to renew Judah’s commitment to the laws of Moses. Themes of Persian favor, return, temple prioritization, and religious festivals connect Ezra’s first and second units.
